Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Witches Of Artistic Outpost

***Four more days until my 1st Blogiversary and a major giveaway to one of you!!!

I've not been using my Artistic Outpost images much, so I decided to take part in their Monthly Referral Program, and yikes, it's the last day to do so! Remember my Magic Inside Us Tag? I'm going with the same idea, but tweaking it up for Halloween. However, I couldn't stop with just her, because AO has too many wonderful heavy hitting lady images, so I've done four. (HUGE WARNING....LONG POST...Get nourishment and beverage!)
As I was working on them, my imagination started working on overload, and next thing you know, I'm making up my own story with the witches, sort of a cross between Wicked and The Witches Of Eastwick. Mr. E. E. Forrest, Druggist, is their pusher who wants them to drink his mysterious potion, which elevates their powers for evil, and causes them to wreck havoc on the land and the mortals. He plays upon their weaknesses in character, and has sentiments for each of them which coerces them to buy his concoction time after time. Next thing you know, witches from all over are standing in line to purchase the potion. He gets rich, gets powerful, gets overloaded and sloppy, and starts cutting back on the now hard to find ingredients, all the while looking for world domination and using the witches to do his dirty work. The less than par brew causes horrible side effects for the witches, some even death, so civil unrest bursts forth. Alas, young Lowly Self Esteem, figures it all out, and enlists the help of Ima So Vain, Worriesa Too Much, and Issy Very Mean. Together, they destroy Forrest's Apothecary, where he meets his doom in the scourge at his own hand. During this, each one comes to terms with their flaws and insecurities, and help each other to get well. They decide to build a recreational retreat and spa, on the spot where the old Apothecary was laying in ruins. They name it Love Potion #9, and witches, as well as mortals, came from near and far to receive therapy and just talk, relax and unwind, and participate in a variety of activities like Bingo and Crafting. It's very successful and the land is whole once again!

I used the Halloween Reflection Stamp. I found that you let the Archival Ink penetrate about 30 seconds, then with the slightest of hand rub gently, then a little firmer when it starts to come off. You can see spots where I was too aggressive. You can just reapply Alcohol Ink put I left it for interest.

I cut out the centers of each frame to use for stamping other images, then taped it down on a paper towel using Tissue Tape so that the parts I wanted to color in would be free from color. I sprayed Adirondack Color Wash in Buttscotch and then Perfect Pearls Mist in Sunflower Sparkle (my new favorite combo).

I colored in the clean white squares with an Orange Glaze Pen, but then curiosity got me, and I colored in the other parts of the frame over the Color Wash, and IT WORKED! This means I did all the taping for nothing....lesson learned. It's good to experiment! The Glaze Pen makes a very shiny and raised color!

Grand Central STAMPING ensued next! A slew of AO images where stamped in Jet Black on Specialty Stamping Paper, along with a few Tim Holtz ones. All of the sentiments are AO's and they were stamped onto black cardstock with Sunset Orange Acrylic Paint Dabber. Mr. E. E. Forrest was stamped inside the prescription with the new Brushed Pewter Metallic Distress Stain. On the ladies, I added ink straight from the pad to make a darkened area so I cut cut hats from. I used the girl's net as the pointed hat and made a brim for it. The stick is her wand. The cauldron was made by stamping the base of the bottle on the AO Apothecary set. I flipped it upside down and free hand cut the shape with the fire flames. Several images were inked with Dusty Concord Distress Ink after they were cut out.

All ladies were colored with Distress Markers using Tim's technique from Compendium of Curiosities II. I love their Shabby Shutters green skin! I cut them out and adhered them to the frame. Lots of Stickles were used to highlight them. Witches hats were also given to each ancestor in cameo. This was foam taped and added on top of the Alcohol Inked Halloween words transparency.

Antique Linen Distress Stain was used to color the prescriptions and cardstock for the moon. I freehand the moon. Be careful Staining over the Metallic Stain...I removed a little of the detail on one of them by using too much pressure. I wrinkled these up and distressed the edges and gave them a little Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

Using Idea-ology Corked Vials, I colored them with Lettuce Alcohol Ink. Then I coated them in Crackle Accents rather than Rock Candy Crackle Paint to just see what it would do, to try and mimic Wendy's Faux Cracked Glass. It worked well, and dried fast, with no peeling, but the cracks are not as deep, and the Distress Ink did not adhere very well. I still like the look though, so I kept it. It's go to experiment! I stamped the $.10 (no cents sign on the keyboard???) in Emerald Archival onto kraft paper, cut them out, and used them on Idea-ology Type Key Charms. I used wire to put them onto the necks of the mini bottles.

For the jumbo sized #10 tag, I stamped Tim's web, spider, Halloween script, and bats in Brushed Pewter Metallic Stain, and the stars in White Picket Fence Stain with his 'fly poop' (hehe) Speckled image. I distressed the sides of the tag. I die cut the 31 into the moons using Tim's Sizzix Cargo Stencil, and used black cardstock to diecut the trim from the Vintage Lace die. I used the Tiny Attacher to fix the trim on the tag. I adhered the left over Alcohol Inked Halloween words on the transparency to the moons, and glued them the tag corners. All the other elements were added to the tag as well. The bats and spider received some Stickles as well.

I colored seam binding with various colors of Adirondack Color Wash, scrunched them up, and dried them with a heat tool! Gorgeous color! These ribbons completed the tag.

It's okay being green!

She's too sexy for her hat...or is that cat?!?

Don't sweat the small stuff!

You catch more spiders with sugar than poison...oh you know what I mean!!!

I wish the photos picked up the color and sheen better. It's really not matte like this.

Good story! Maybe you should make a mini book to write it in - now who could illustrate it?!! This looks like you've had a ball playing with your crafty resources, which is what it is all about, and the outcome is a set of real gems. Good luck with the challenges. Hugs, Buttons x

Amazing! Stunning, creative - wow. I got quite wrapped up in the story but just burst out laughing when the reformed characters took up crafting....hilarious! Your attention to details is faultless on these wonderful tags and what fun you must have had.....a bit of useless info - my namesake was the last Witch to be burned at the stake in Pendle ......maybe I have come back as a white witch because I love craft - tee hee. Brilliant work as ever Anita. Crafty hugs, Anne x

I knew we were related....you, me and the ink on our fingers,like drugs in the veins....blows ones mind! and you have certainly been taken by the alien witches to come up with this marvelous story and art! Whoo hoo, I love what you have done, love your story and need you to know we must be related! lol and hugs

Hi Anita, lol, it's official you have joined my planet, the panet for all those crafters that have lost the plot, welcome aboard lol. Loved your write up, ade me smile. Wonderful tags, love the splash of white in the background against the perfect orange and purple Halloween colours. Fantastic use of the AO images and wonderful creative pieces for the Referral Scheme. Love them. Tracy x

This is the most fabulous post!! I love the story you came up with and the tags remind me of trading cards for each character - LOVE IT!! So much thought went into these and it shows, wonderful tags - maybe a book is in order? xo

wowser!! what amazing tags!! I love them all!!! I wish I could come over and play a bit with you and learn to do all the fun techniques!!! Your write up is fabulous and helps a lot!! now need to get busy I guess aye!! thnx for the wonderful inspiration you rock!!!! need to work on ATC's so may need to give some of these techniques a try!! and yes update my blog hehehe!! soon I will just always something else going on you know!! :)))

Holy crap! (sorry, I can't think of a better way to say it!) These tags are amazing. They are so technique and detail rich, it's mind boggling. I love the story you've written. Thank goodness for Miss Lowly Self-esteem's quick thinking or we'd all be doomed. Great step by step instructions and awesome use of stamps and embellies!

Wow!!! Just an amazing tag Anita! I love all the stamping that you do - it inspires me to keep going with my stamps and try different things. I really enjoyed reading how this was made and will be back (probably several times!) to read it again and try out some of the techniques which are new to me.Juliaxx

Anita! You are a crafting genius superb work and I love the story! I reckon you must be getting more than 24 hours in a day there is so much work in this project , not least the brilliant step by step photography and all . Totally fab ! X

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Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.-Proverbs 31: 30-31